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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Federal law sets the federal minimum wage at $7.25 |
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an hour; and |
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WHEREAS, The last time Congress raised the federal minimum |
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wage was in 2007; that year, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 was |
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passed to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an |
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hour to $7.25 an hour in 2009; the Act included small business tax |
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relief provisions and was signed into law by President George W. |
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Bush; and |
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WHEREAS, Speaking at a 2006 news conference, President Bush |
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said that he supported increasing the federal minimum wage, adding |
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that to achieve this and other goals, Congress needed to put aside |
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partisan differences and work constructively to address the vital |
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issues confronting our nation; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 13 years since President Bush signed the last |
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federal minimum wage increase into law, the desire for Congress to |
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put aside partisan differences and work constructively to raise the |
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federal minimum wage has grown stronger in the states; and |
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WHEREAS, To account for cost of living increases, 29 states |
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have set their minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage, |
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though not at the level of a living wage; 14 states, including |
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Texas, have set their minimum wage in line with the federal minimum |
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wage; and |
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WHEREAS, Supporters of a living wage emphasize that |
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increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would reduce |
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poverty and grow the economy; their review of previous minimum wage |
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increases found little or no evidence that raising the minimum wage |
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reduces employment; and |
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WHEREAS, Demonstrating that paying workers more reduces |
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turnover, several companies, including Amazon, Walmart, and |
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Target, are now paying many hourly workers at least $15 an hour; a |
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2017 Quinnipiac University poll found that a majority of Americans |
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would support a minimum wage of $15 an hour; and |
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WHEREAS, Offering a Texas perspective, noted American |
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economist Dr. James K. Galbraith, a professor at The University of |
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Texas at Austin, wrote that states such as Texas would benefit from |
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raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour because such states |
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have too many low-wage workers, too much poverty, and too many |
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people who are getting food stamps and other welfare because they |
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aren't getting paid enough; and |
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WHEREAS, The well-being of this nation depends on a strong |
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and vibrant economy, and Congress should heed the advice of experts |
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such as Dr. Galbraith and raise the minimum wage; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to raise |
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the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |